Hoe.



30 e same at different distances in order yto adapt l UNITED STATES f PATENT (NEIGE.

` EDWIN o. LEWIS,v oEDETRornMIcHIeAN.

vj` HOE."

sPEcrFlcATIoN forming part of Letters' Patent No. 702,659', aerea June 17, 1902.

Application filed December 23, 1901. Serial No. 86,884. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern,.-

' Be it known that I, EDWIN O. LEWIS, a subl ject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Detroit, in the lcounty of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hoes, of which the 'following is a specification. v

This invention relates to a blocking-out and weeding hoe of the kind which is provided 'with two blades arranged 'side by lside at a suitable distance apart to straddle the pla-nts under cultivation and in which the blades are small plants which are vplanted inphills orrl"he objects ofthe invention are to provide a simple, durableand convenient hoe of this v character which is adapted to cultivate the beets or other roots or plants close to the same and so as to removeweeds and thin out surplus roots or plants Without injury to the root or plant and without danger of pulling down the hill, to provide a simple and strong connection between-the blades and the handle, and to so vconstruct the connection between the blades and "the handle that the blades can be readily adjusted to space the the hoe for use with roots or plants of dierent sizes and for blocking out hills at diiferent distances apart.

vas

'In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is -aperspective View of a hoe embodying thel invention, the upper portion of the handle being broken away. Fig. 2.is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudi@ nal section through thejhandle and attaching 1 and adjusting devices for the blades. Fig.

` blades.

' VLike letters of reference refer to like parts inthe several figures. e

A represents the hoe-handle,which,as.usual, is preferably made of wood and approximately cylindrical. The lower end of the handle is divided longitudinally to provide two separated yielding arms or-forked securing por tions a forthe hoe-blades.

B represents a ring orv ferrule secured vto the handle above the divided lower portion thereof to prevent the splittingof thehandle in the use of the hoe.` e

` C C represent the two hoe-blades, which are preferably, as shownfin the drawings, elongated, narrow, and provided at the front' with beveled or cutting edges c. Y ofthe blades are'bentup to'provide upwardlyprojecting substantially vertical blade eXtensions D, which like the horizontal portions or blades proper are provided at the front with beveled' or cutting edgesd. The two upright blade extensions D converge forwardly, as clearly shown in Figs. l and 5, so that their front or cutting edges are. closer together The inner ends' than their rear edges or'backs. Preferably l the outer ends of the hoe-blades are bent up to lprovide substantially vertical blade. ex-

tensions E, which also havebeveled front or,` .l Y

cutting edges e. l i. v

The hoe-blades kare provided with upwardly and forwardly extending attachingfshanksl F, which rise from the Iinner vertical .blade extensions. These Shanks constitute upward prolongations of the inner vupright blade'extensionsD and are preferably formed sepa Sev rately from the blades. and vsecured at their `l lower ends to the upper ends of these' blade extensions by rivets for other suitablemeans. The Shanks are shown `as provided on the indepressions f', in which the 'blade extensions ment of the blades.

new blades, but,.if desired, ythe shanksmay be formed integrally with thev blades.

Each shank isprovided at itsl vupper. end

with a semicylindrical.socket-plate or half? socket G, which surrounds or embraces the ouytersemicylindrical facel of one of the handle-arms al..` These socket-platesare secured to the handle-arms by screws f g, which pass inwardly through holes formed in the socketplates and inthe handlefar'ms and are screwed into plates g, arranged on the inner sides of the handle-arms.

loo

As shown, each offthese plates is provided with two screw-threadedv 85 Y ner sides of their lower ends with seats or E l holes which receive the inner ends of the two screws by which each socket-plate is secured to its handle-arm. These screw-plates Vare preferably half-round on their outer sides and fiat on their inner sides, as shown in Figs. l and 4, and are seated in half-round recesses or grooves g2, formed lengthwise in the inner sides of the handle-arms. These half-round screw-plates or nuts are preferred, as the seats or grooves therefor can be readily formed simultaneously in both handlearms by boring. The half round socketplates which surround the outer faces of the handle-arms brace or strengthen the latter and enable the implement to withstand considerable rough usage.

Suitable means are provided for setting or adjusting the blades nearer to or farther from each other to adapt the hoe for use with plants'or roots of different sizes or which are diderently spaced. The means shown in the drawings for this purpose consists of a transverse screw-boltll, which connects the shanks F below the handle-arms. This bolt is preferably heldin one of the shanks against turning by an angular or square neck 7i, Fig. 3, and is secured to this shank by its head and a nut 72', screwed on the bolt against the inner fface of the shank. The bolt extends through an elongated or enlarged hole h2 in the other shank and is adjustably secured to the same by two thumb-nuts I I', screwed on the bolt on opposite sides of the shank. By means of these thumb-nuts the blades can be quickly and easily forced toward or from each other and secured in any desirable position, the yieldinghandle-arms permitting such movement of the shanks and blades without distorting the same or weakening their connection with the handle. l

In the use of the hoe the handleis held at such an inclination that the horizontal portions ot' the blades stand ata very slight downward inclination, so that in pulling the hoe by the handle the blades cutinto the surface of the soil and sever the roots of any weeds or surplus plants. The converging portions D enable Athe user to cut or cultivate the soil close to the plant or root without danger of hurting the latter, and as these upright portions of the blades converge toward the front, so that the space between the same widens rearwardly, they leave the hill intact and do not have a tendency to pull the same down, because as the hoe is moved forwardly the earth frees itself from the blades and does not cling to the latter in such a way that it is pulled by the blades away from the plant or root. At the same time the outer rearwardly-diverging faces of the inner upright blade portions push the separated roots or weeds out of their seed-beds, so as to effectually destroy the same. The blades are secured to the attaching-Shanks in such relation that the upright extensions at the inner ends of the blades always stand at an inclination to each other or converge forwardly,

whether or not the shanks are adjusted toward or from each other to the limit of their movement. The advantages stated of having the extensions converge are therefore never defeated. By the adjusting means above described the blades can be set to suit different sizes of plants or hills and also to lengthen or shorten the combined Width of the two hoe-blades, so that a less or greater distance can be cultivated between adjacent hills in order to space thehills nearer to or farther apart in blocking out. The yielding arms or securing portions of the handle permit of a considerable range of adjustment of the blades without straining the shanks or their connection with the handle.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of a handle having a longitudinally-divided lower end, forming two yielding securing-arms, two hoe-blades arranged side by side, rigid attaching-Shanks rising from the inner sides of said blades and secured to said arms, andan adjusting device connecting said Shanks below said yielding securing-arms for holding said yielding securing-arms spaced apart more or less, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a handle havinga longitudinally-divided lower end, forming two yielding securing-arms, two hoe-blades arranged side by side, rigid attaehing-shanks rising from the inner ends of said blades and provided at their upper ends with half-sockets, means for securing said half-sockets to said arms, and a transverse adjusting-screw connecting said Shanks below said arms for holding said yielding securing-arms spread apart more or less, substantially as set forth.

The combination of a handle having a longitudinally-divided lower end, forming two yielding securing-arms, two hoe-blades arranged side by side, attaching-Shanks rising from the inner ends of the hoe-blades and provided at their upper ends with socketplates which are arranged against the outer sides of said arms, screw plates arranged against the inner sides of said arms, and fastening-screws inserted through said socketplates and arms into said screw-plates, substantially as set forth.

Lt. The combination of a handle having a longitudinally divided lower end, forming two yielding securingarms which are provided on their inner sides with longitudinal grooves, two hoe-blad es arranged side by side, attaching-Shanks rising from the inner ends of the hoe-blades and provided at their upper ends with socket-plates which are arranged against the outer sides of said arms, screwplates arranged in the grooves on the inner sides oi' said arms, and fastening-screws inserted through said socket-plates and arms into said screw plates, substantially as set forth. i

5. The combination of a handle, attaching- Shanks secured to said handle and adjustable toward and from each other, and two substan- ICO IIO

tially horizontal hoe-blades secured to` said faces of which converge forwardly, attachingshanks side by side and provided at their in- Shanks rising fro'lnsaid blade extensions and ner ends with upright blade extensions the secured to said arms,-and an adjusting "deinner or opposing' faces of which converge vice connecting said Shanks below said arms,

forwardly in all positions Of the Shanks, substantially as set forth.

substantially as set`forth. f

Witness my hand this 18th day ofDecem- 6. The combination of a'handle having a ber, 1901. longitudinally-divided lower end, forming two yielding securing-arms, two substantially horizontal hoe-blades arranged side by side l Aand provided at their inner ends with npright blade extensions the'inner or opposing EDWIN O. LEWIS. i

Witnesses:

JOSEPH W. HUMPHRY,.

GEORGE GORDON CHRISTIE. 

